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Ok, so the world does not know my name. But there are those around me that do...and in the end that is all I need...

Anthony Lockhart @Cosmos8942

Age 34, Male

Philosopher

N/A

Wisconsin, United States

Joined on 5/14/07

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A Very Solid Stance

Posted by Cosmos8942 - October 26th, 2008


"Some people say fame is all about the world knowing who you are, I say fame is knowing that those around you even know you exist"

You know, a couple years ago I heard a little known artist called Dimrain play his way through the Newgrounds flash based author's of the time. I played some of those games, or watched some of those flashes just so I could listen to his songs. Not thinking about it any further I vacated Newgrounds in search of other things that would catch my interest. Not a year later did I come back and find the audio portal, and all the masters that inhabit it. At the time such authors as Danman and Milkman-Dan were just making a word for themselves and yet more were coming out of the wood works to try their hand at a little known hobby called composing. So it went on...

Now though we have far more artists, both good and bad, new and old, that are making their voices heard through their compelling music. Ok, so that music is sometimes bad, other times worse, and yet we are all still around, listening for that next masterpiece. In the end though, those masterpieces come and go usually without so much as a glance towards the one(s) that made it. Why is this? Is this because nobody happened to listen to it, nobody liked it, placed under the wrong format. Perhaps those reasons are all correct, but as many of us know there is a completely different reason this event happens. That reason is why I am here right now, sitting my lazy ass down to talk about it, blog if you will. Newgrounds has changed many times over the years, and one of the more recent and major changes was the change in the Audio Portal. Practically everything was stripped and redone. Many people complained, but life went on, it always does. But to what end?

THAT end is what we see now. The Audio Portal is still considered a, and I quote...."Newbie arena", "A place devoid of Talent", "Completely worthless!", end quote. This has been said on a number of games and a number of forums, but can we, as artists agree with them? Of course we can. The reason we are able to agree with them is because of the way some of our best are treated, the down votes, uses of audio, and complete disregard for the reasons a person may place such a piece on this site are sometimes horrible, other times well spoken. But this is a public site, whereas such work that is posted is under a certain...agreement stating that anything uploaded can be used by others, basically, as they see fit. Ok, we all understand that, but then why the change?

Nowadays a person can go around and tap Zero on every song and flash within the Newgrounds library. At the same time they can go and raise their own. This is done daily, and most of us are used to it by now, the ones who arn't or who are unable to get used to this fact probably won't last long. In the end talented artists are thrown to the winds to settle where-ever they may while the well-knowns are thrown about slightly but eventually rest upon a pillar high above the rest. Such events as these happen constantly and many artists that could have stayed and become great have fled to lesser known areas of cyberspace to mull out their gratified existence in areas that will most likely not see them as anything but ordinary. Why then, should we, as a whole take this in hand and say that this is fair? We can't, and I for one will not.

In the end some changes need to be made yet again. Ideas need to be harboured and greeted with open arms. These changes don't need to take place right away, but the sooner the better. This, my fellow Newgrounders and Artists', is a place to throw your ideas around...and who knows, perhaps those ideas may take flower and could change the very shape that is the Newgrounds that we see today.

Below are a couple ideas of my own that may or may not take hold in the ground. I simply ask that you take them into your hand and consider them, if in the end you find them to be worthless then swat them away, grind them under your heel, and flame me off the face of the Earth. I will probably deserve it anyhow ^^...,

1. Don't make it so that a person can vote on a song or even flash every single day. Make it every other day, this way those that truly enjoyed the song can come back and re-vote, or those that truly hated it can make themselves known.

2. Perhaps a record of the users that voted on a piece could be made. I am not a programmer of any sort, so the range of difficulty here is beyond me. But a simple list on those, say, in the last 12-24 hours that have voted on a said piece can be seen and even linked to. This would make it easier to locate those compelling bombers and displace them from our society. At the same time it will make it easier to thank those that should be thanked.

3. [Refer to #2] Perhaps the same thing for those that Download a song, same idea, same effect.

4. A mass PM program that could be introduced into Newgrounds would be great. What would be better then to not only thank all those that either downloaded or voted on a piece, but to also indicate that you have another song coming out. No more then 10 people can be selected, and perhaps a filter for those spammers that would be sure to follow.

5. Okay so a mass PM program that can indicate all the users you want would not be good idea. Well then what about a Mass PM Program that only includes those that have you on their favorites list? They liked you in the first place, why should they have to miss out on a new song, or you on their reviews and votes just because they didn't see it?

These are only a few ideas that I have at hand. If you want your ideas to be heard then post them below. Tell your friends about this, tell the world about this and perhaps with enough public opinion WE, the users, can change Newgrounds into something we ALL can enjoy, without the constant headache of those that laugh at others folly and despair.

-AJ-

Oh, and Tom, where is that 'Chat' that we were promised a couple years back? The coming soon sign has been up and posted for ages upon ages. No time? So be it, not going to make it? Then tell us! Trust me, we are all waiting.


Comments

you take the good you take the bad you take them both and there you have...the facts of life... sit boo boo sit..good dog.

Oh I know, but every once in a while I would prefer to not have to bow to someone else's command. Why do we have free-will again? Its the judgement of people that made Newgrounds what it is today, and it is that same judgement that can make it even better. Or maybe I am wrong, it happens...far too much XD.